Literature as Theory: Literature and Truths

Abstract

This chapter analyses and questions a philosophical demotion of literature. It does so by proposing a new understanding of truth as not only declarative and conceptual but also relational and dialogical. It investigates and critiques some philosophical reductions of truth to what can be conceptually measured and assessed as declarations. Philosophy declares truth and these declarations are assumed to be active: they are performances of the truthful. Literature, by contrast, is confined to passivity: to representations. The chapter analyses how contemporary philosophers of literature oppose literature’s passivity with the active appearance of truth in works of philosophy. How does this activity unfold? Declarations and conceptions perform actions of truth, according to these philosophers. They thus implicitly contrast literature representations with philosophy’s declarations.

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